The Thrill of the Hunt
by Dummypotato
Summary: Vayne has caught word of a Noxus spy who has just fled Demacia, carrying vital information. This information, if in the wrong hands, can lead to the deadliest and bloodiest war Runeterra has ever seen. Vayne's job is to find him, and bring him to Demacia for questioning. Will Vayne succeed? Or will a brutal war be sparked that could wipe out the two powerhouses as we know it?
1. Part One-Day 1

**(This is the new story I'm going to be working on. I was going to do the Jinx FF, but I couldn't quite get a good feel about it. Everything I tried just didn't sit well with me. I apologize for leading you all on like that, I hope this makes up for it, but I probably got you guys too hyped up for _Criminal Insanity_. Regardess, here's _The Thrill of the Hunt._ I named it that, because it sits well with the theme of the story, plus Rengar is usually everywhere in every frickin' game I play. So it fits.)**

_**The Thrill of the**_** Hunt**

**Day 1: The Winter Wind**

The night crept upon Valoran quicker than expected, and i the night are unruly beasts and criminals from all cities. This is where SHE lurks. The Night Hunter. She is hunting a Noxian spy who has just fled Demacia. The target is a young man, probably a year younger than she is. The man's name is Balintine. Vayne doesn't know much about Balintine, other than that he's from the Freljord, and defected to Noxus as soon as he came of age. She caught word recently of Balintine's arrival into the Freljord to throw off any tails he may have acquired. Ironic, that he was born here, and is going to be captured here. Ashe gave her permission to enter under the disguise of a 'bounty hunter' years ago, which Vayne agreed to.

Conveniently for Demacia, Vayne stayed here in shelter. She preferred the isolation and hunting of the local wildlife. It made things interesting for her. Vayne was here in the Freljord and was already in position to intercept Balintine. She had just eaten some venison and washed it down with some water before getting into position. She chose to do so at night, for that was both signature, and easier for her. She set her red glasses over her eyes and waited patiently to intercept. Just like she usually does. Stalking 'prey' was always a specialty for Vayne, and this scenario was no different

The wind was silent, and the snow caped the land as far as the eye could see. Vayne could see far away, as she was perched on a particularly tall tree, on one of the thick branches. Vayne didn't even shiver as she listened for any break in the silence and of nature. She listened for a twig snapping, the sounds of snow being trudged by human feet, which makes its own distinctive sound. The trees provided a great cover, especially under the shrouding blanket of the night. She was nearly invisible, which was how she preferred it. Vayne knew that Balintine would be around here, she was only thirty minutes away from the border closest to Noxus. Vayne was equipped to eliminate the target, like usual, but the Demacian royal blood wanted Balintine alive to interrogate him. Fine by her. The cold stung her exposed skin, but not even pain would stop an assassin like her. Vayne was determined to bring Balintine in.

Finally, a twig snapped off in the distance, and Vayne's eyes darted in the direction of the disturbance. Her neck craned behind her presently, to search for the intruder of the lone forest. There were snow-capped trees all around her, and trees about as tall as the one she was in. The forest floor was clear of obstacles, and was a scenic area for one to be hunting a spy. Vayne let out a silent sigh and adjusted the tights she was wearing. A black pair of tights that encompassed her own body, with red glasses to suit her pale, snowy complexion. Her black hair was pulled back into a long pony tail, which ran all the way down her back. If she catered herself with prominence and a drive to gather a lover, she'd be more than attractive, but she has no time for such petty feelings, there's work to be done. Vayne anticipated Balintine to be coming into view any time now. She'd be more than right to assume this.

Then, as if on cue, a hooded man came into view. Balintine. Standing at a tall frame, Balintine was lean, tall, and walked with an arrogance about him. He conducted himself with a manner that one who knew he was great would. His shoulders were raised and Balintine would occasionally throw his shoulders forward as he paced. Balintine was much taller than Vayne was, but that makes him an easy target, she thought. The hood he was wearing was solid black, with two white stripes that broadened the higher it went, and connected to a cloak that traveled all the way down to his ankles. The stripes come down to two solitary tips that barely touch. His shoes were a solid matte black that were made out of some form of leather. His hands were tucked into the pockets that the cloak covered. Vayne had him right where he wanted him.

Vayne was not a fool. She had this all planned, and was (as a matter of fact) stalking Balintine for quite some time. She gathered that he liked to do his business at night, like walking. He was a nocturnal person, much like Vayne was. While she wasn't stalking Balintine personally, she had eyes everywhere, and she was proud of that. Vayne's connections caught him in a town called 'The Maw' and was rapidly heading Vayne's direction. She knew just how long it would take for Balintine to get to Vayne's general area, and she was precise in this calculation. She snorted quietly in approval of her correct calculations. She eyed Balintine as he walked

Suddenly, he stopped. Vayne took in a sharp, yet silent breath. Balintine's head was angled down to observe where he was walking, then slowly, he turned his head around to face Vayne. She couldn't see his eyes, but supposedly they are green. All she could see was his smirk, his pale lips curl arrogantly to his right. A smirk of obnoxious arrogance. A smirk of confidence. His head looked up now, and though she couldn't see his eyes, she knew his gaze was there. Though, Vayne wasn't one to be frightened, Balintine's hidden gaze was certainly haunting, especially through the shroud of the hood. Which came down to a tip at the bridge of his nose. Vayne maintained her composure as Balintine broke the silence, rather rudely.

"You can come down from there. I will not harm you, I have no quarrel with you, unless you have one with me." he said.

His voice was chilling, and he spoke with a refined and intellectual patience. The way Balintine carried himself was evident in his voice and Vayne began to guess his background. Balintine was more than likely a man who was rejected by his home country. When he came to Noxus, the court realized his potential and his arrogance started from there. Noxus recognized his ability to infiltrate any enemies and get vital information. He then grew infamous throughout the other countries, and famous throughout Noxus. He was proud of this. She envisioned Balintine walking throughout Noxus, through a door and into Demacia. Directly into the royal family, and courting the local women, to get close to the higher ups. She was disgusted with traitors, and especially with traitors who carried themselves as a gentlemen. She thought that was an idiotic way of betraying your country.

Vayne finally came too and ignored his command, and instead, raised her right arm and pointed it at Balintine. Her wrist was mounted with a crossbow, small, and made out of a dark steel. It was already loaded with a bolt ready to be fired, also made out of a dark steel. She had silver bolts on standby if he was some supernatural being. As she did this, she heard a chuckle and Balintine spoke once more.

"If you think I'm intimidated, you should know that I'm not. Any shot you fire at me will not hit me. I can guarantee that."

Vayne was bitter, from the cold and the wait. Vayne was bitter from the arrogance of Balintine, and slightly intrigued by it. Vayne waited a moment, until his speech was finished. Then fired immediately as his words ceased. She saw the glint of the steel as it flew towards Balintine's knee. Injure then capture, that was the idea about it. She watched as the bolt soared to pierce Balintine like a lance of faith. What Vayne saw was perplexing to her. Balintine spun to expose his chest, then move his torso to the side, and extend his right hand to catch the bolt just as it was about to make impact with his knee. He held the bolt to his side and simply looked up at her. What's more is that he did this all in a fraction of a second, yet just slow enough for Vayne to see. Balintine was taunting her and she knew it.

Vayne heard another chuckle.

"If you'd like to talk, come down. I will not harm you."

Balintine threw the bolt into the thicket of trees. He walked backwards a few paces then took off the hood on his head. His hair was white, and his eyes are a emerald green. Piercing, no matter how comforting and hauntingly beautiful they may be. He stared directly up at Vayne. His smirk straightened down to a flat and stoic feature. Vayne liked how his face curved inwards slightly at his cheeks and how his skin was as pale as hers. It was odd for her to be admiring her target's features, but she felt as if he deserved some recognition. His nose came out slightly, and his lips were thin, yet thick at the same time. A medium between the two adjectives. His face as a whole read patience, calculating, intelligent, and confident. He took care of himself. She quite admired that.

Vayne found herself loading another bolt, looking down to do so. As she looked up, however, she saw that Balintine had disappeared. She looked around to find him, left. Right. Left. Right. But was met with nothing. She cursed herself for letting him slip, then she felt a rush of wind behind her, she whipped around, and was greeted with Balintine's long flowing black pants. She looked up, and was rightly booted off of the tree. His boot pressed squarely into her chest, and the wind escaped her lungs at that very moment. The bolt fell out of her hands and off to the side, as she was ejected from the tree. Time slowed, how did he get up there so fast? There's something about him she doesn't know, he has to have some abilities that aren't listed in the briefing. Vayne watched her hands claw at anything, something to grip it before she made impact with the ground. All she could see was Balintine's, haunting, beautiful, observing, tender, calculating, piercing, cautious, handsome, circumstantial, furtive, womanizing, wonderf-

Before she could finish that though, Vayne's body made a loud 'THUD' against the forest floor. Her back arched up in pain and breath escaped all capabilities that she could do. The world dodged her vision with a quick, versatile motion and came back to her suddenly as she took her first breath of air in what felt hours. She rolled over and struggled to get on her feet. She took minutes to get to one knee and when she looked up, she saw Balintine, staring right down at her. He made no aggressive movements and instead said simply:

"Now. Now that we have that all settled, let's go and talk. To your place? Or mine.." he said rather chillingly.

Vayne knew now that Balintine was in control of the encounter, like he was used to. Vayne got up and limped to her shack as Balintine followed.

**(Hey you guys, I hope you enjoyed this. I had to give my homie Vayne a story, so I did. I actually had a lot of fun writing this, and there is certainly more coming soon. I do apologize again about the misleading info about _Criminal Insanity. _Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to find a way to work on it, but I don't expect it to be released anytime soon. So for now, enjoy _The Thrill of the_ _Hunt_! I hope you enjoyed!)**


	2. Part Two-Day 1

**(Hey guys, welcome back. This is part two of the first day. If that makes any sense at all. I hope you enjoy this one, it's really fun to write this.)**

**Part two: The Pridestalker**

As previously mentioned, the fall knocked all of the wind out of Vayne. She curled in a furious pain as her limbs seized up, and lost themselves. First her left leg and then her right arm. She was losing feeling of her other limbs, but yet she got up and started limping home. She couldn't run and her mind burned with a fervor for independence, she just didn't know it. She hated being helpless, defenseless. She hated this, her predicament, her position in all of this. She kept going forward, not stopping or faltering, just moving forward and eventually gaining a lead on Balintine who simply followed. Her ego compelled her to. Her pride compelled her to. She must, for her mother, for herself. For her reputation, for her beliefs, to impress someone. She just didn't know who, or even that the thought was in her mind. She just kept on.

The day was agonizing, the night had been unforgiving. Shortly after her bout with Balintine, Vayne's injured ego and wounds cried for ercy. She would tend to them when she was safe and sound. She had agreed to Balintine's talk, although she wasn't in the room for negotiation. She could perhaps surprise Balintine with a preemptive ambush and subdue him? Anything was worth the effort she supposed. Her body was caked in snow and her hair was dotted with specks of cold white. She grimaced and continued on. She felt unusually weak, and helpless. She despised this feeling.

Balintine, however, was deep in thought, and held his fingers to his prominent jawline. Outlined by shadow and the fresh moonlight, the hood provided a great cover for Balintine and his face. The darkness consumed all up to his upper lip, then everything after his jawline. His skin almost as bright as the moon itself. He appeared almost vampire-like in a way, although that wasn't the case. He was in thought, not only about his previous encounter with Vayne, but also about the talk they are to have. Should he tell her everything? He (I) better tell me (her) everything, they thought in a oblivious unison. He'd do that, he figured. Furthermore, was how Vayne carried herself. She held her pride and independence close to her. Evident by the fact that she limped along in silence and didn't say a word. Vayne tried to act as if nothing happened, as if no pain was even there and her sizable lead on Balintine indicated her want to be independent.

Vayne heard the sudden, quick, and quiet sound of Balintine presumably putting his hand into his pocket. She withdrew her breath, breathing was difficult at this present moment. Still, though, she fought much like she did when her mother was murdered, though for a different reason then right now. Her body limped along, eager to get home and rest. She was in an unspeakable agony, for the fall had done a serious number to her. More than likely broken bones and other bodily problems, she'd take care of them when she got home she deduced. Vayne's eyes opened in a sudden realization that her knees were beginning to grow weaker and weaker. She bit her lip in frustration, promising herself not to break the comforting silence. She knew it wouldn't be long.

Balintine admired a woman who could be self sufficient and independent. A soul on it's own, he liked that. Balintine was one to strengthen the concept of individualism and he did so with nearly every breath he released. He spoke of a world, a country where a man and a woman may make the choices of that respective man or woman's lives. He wished to see this. This was his dream. This was his utopia. A free world. This all was a vision in his head, sparked by seeing Vayne limp along in a silent agony. His lips curled into a smile of the visionary. That was all he was, though, just a visionary. He was not the right man of action in his eyes. Balintine heard the ever so quiet grunts of exhaustion coming from Vayne, getting slightly, slightly louder. He saw a dim light in the distance and nodded his head in acknowledgement. The house spoke to him to enter. He nodded that he understood.

Shauna saw the light of her home, and let out a very small smile. Relief waited beyond that wooden door. The dim golden light beamed in through a small window that usually remains closed. She didn't like visitors, so she didn't want to attract them with even a speck of light. This time, she kept it open in case she lost her way, which she was confident wouldn't happen but she wanted to be sure. She was glad she did that, she nearly got lost just now. Vayne now saw the outline of the house and that's when it happened. The wind picked up, and added just that bit of resistance that was needed to cause her body to fail her. Her knees gave way under her and she fell to the snow covered ground.

Upon hitting the ground, she struggled to get up. Her arms supported her just long enough for her to put a knee for extra support, but that was a failure. Her arms crumpled and her knee slid out and her body was motionless. She strained every inch of her willpower to move something, anything. That was a vain (vayne. hehe I couldn't resist.) effort. The only thing that moved were her eyelids and her lips, which let slip little faint grunts of strenuous trying. She heard something off in the distance and she closed her eyes to zone out. She felt something slide down her face towards the ground before she saw something.

She saw a vision of her mother, dead on the floor. She saw this from a third party view, and saw her former self crying silently. She pitied that previous iteration of the true woman she grew to be. She saw a weak pathetic little girl, and although she didn't like the sight of her dead mother, she didn't cry over it. She sat in silence, and pitied her younger self. She scowled rather disappointingly at herself and kept her emotions to a minimum. She felt a shaking in her chest and the world came back into view.

Whatever went down her face left a trail of wetness. It chilled immensely to her face by the rushing winter wind. Her chest shook in short convulsions like a nervous child. She begged for it to stop but she couldn't do it. It kept convulsing and conflicting her breathing pattern. She felt more of these weird objects stream down her face and in the far distance she saw her younger self crying uncontrollably. Vayne didn't want to believe it, for she had lost control. Something she had always prided herself in having little to no problems maintaining, and she had just lost it. Vayne didn't want to believe what was streaming across her face. She heard that same unfamiliar noise, and her eyes shut to try and control herself.

Balintine saw her body convulsing as she couldn't maintain her composure, the fall had really done a number on her. She wasn't moving, except for her chest, and her lips which now were being bit with an ever increasing pressure to calm herself. It wasn't working. Balintine walked closer to her until he was by her face. He knelt and looked down at her. Her glasses did little to hide her tears as they lined themselves down her face. He watched in a bitter amusement, as well as amazement as the woman known for her strength broke before him. It was poetic, it was odd, and compelling of him. It brought something that he wasn't used to before. Compassion.

Compassion to help her, and bring her back to her true strength prior to this moment. He felt no remorse for his previous action and just simply stared. Compassion. He thought of it, and tried to pinpoint the source of it. Balintine was a pragmatic person, and he used his personality to try and target the source of his new found compassion. Compassion that was overpowering his sense of selfishness. Moments passed and he finally gave into this compassion. He wiped the tears off of Vayne's face and turned her on her back. That's when she spoke. A voice cold, and cracking with emotion.

"No.."

"I can help you, I know of a remedy to help."

"No.."

Just let me he-"

"No..leave me be."

"I'm only trying to he-"

"No. Let me lie here." Her voice grew stronger with these words. Balintine did not listen. "What are you doing?" She said as he slid his arms under her head and knees.

"Helping, regardless of what you say."

He felt her body convulsing more as she begun to cry again. He lifted her off the ground and wrapped her limp, rag doll-like legs around him and held her chest to his shoulder, carrying her towards her home. She truly didn't want his help, but she wasn't one to refuse. That's how he looked at it. His face was emotionless and blank, yet under that mask, was a man deep in thought. He thought this time about himself, what was he REALLY? His charade would be explained in his defense, he'd tell that. But what about him did he really know? He put the thought out of his mind and opened the door to Vayne's home. He set her down in a chair and began to rummage through cabinets for anything of use.

Shauna was crying. She didn't like it, nor would she admit to herself that she was crying, but the fact was evident. She was crying. Vayne let her head slump down and listened to Balintine pillaging her home in search of something. She heard several containers being set on the wooden counter-tops and sulked to herself. She could hardly move and she didn't want to at this point. She heard Balintine rummage some more through her things and the sound of something pour into what Vayne assumed to be a cup. He put a hand on her chin and lifted her head up. She felt the wood press to her lips and force her lips open slightly, to accept what was being poured into her mouth. She absolutely despised this, yet somewhere deep inside her, she was comforted by this. Her pride pushed this thought out of her mind and just let what was happening, happen.

"Drink. It'll help."

Vayne was helpless.

"There you go. Just like that."

Vayne was weak.

"That's good. Keep it up, you're almost done."

He spoke to her like a child.

"I know it tastes bad, but it'll help."

She just wanted to help herself.

"There you go. All done."

She had a plan already.

"Should take a few minutes for your body to accept the medicine."

Right? Her body did heal in a few minutes and the soreness and agony settled slowly, she had her body in control now. She tilted her head back down and looked him in the eyes as he said:

"Now. Shall we begin?"

**(So, I actually figured out an idea for the Jinx FF. I won't let you guys in on it because it's a secret! It will be dark though, so be prepared. Anyhow, I hope you guys enjoyed this, and if you want, send me a LoL friend request dummypotato. I'll accept if you just tell me how you found me when I add you, otherwise I'll just delete you .. I'll play a game with you guys if you ask me and I may even take ideas for stories.. ;P. Have a good one, guys. I hope you enjoyed this.)**


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